Halliburton Gang-Rape *Not* a Work-Related Activity?

Do we all remember the depressing story of Jamie Lee Jones, who, while an employee of Halliburton/KBR in Iraq, was drugged, gang-raped by fellow employees, then locked up without food or water in an empty shipping container for 24 hours? And then told that if she sought medical attention outside of Iraq she would lose her job? And then Halliburton, a company whose previous CEO was Dick Cheney, refused to take any action against her assailants? And then the Department of Justice refused to take her case because she had signed a (clearly illegal) document saying “these matters” would be handled in secret extra-judicial arbitration?

Well…. she is still fighting and has won a small battle. She went to trial against the Halliburton arbitration agreement to fight for her right to go to trial against Halliburton for realz. And 2-1 the the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in her favor.

Apparently, Halliburton tried to argue that the gang-rape was a “work-related” activity and was therefore rightfully dealt with by forced arbitration with a tots impartial Halliburton-paid arbitrator.

There is so much justice going on in this story I almost can’t handle it. Does it add any justice-y awesomeness that this arbitration policy was put into place during Cheney’s watch? I should hope so.

More power to Jamie for drawing a line in the sand. The courage it takes to stand up to a mega-company like Halliburton, and to the Department of “Justice” is awe-inspiring. She deserves real justice, and the perpetrators deserve to be ferreted out. Where are those cowards now?

1 in 6 American women will be raped during their lives. If one in 6 females are raped, there must be a whole lot of men out there raping. And until they stop getting away with it, our sisters, daughters, nieces, and neighbors are at risk.

You can tell a rapist by his thinking. He blames the victim. The blogs are filled with men who blame women for being raped. Many of them are rapists, or have been influenced by men who are. A rapist has power and control issues and a whole lot of self-loathing that he projects on his victims. So, when you read one of the many outrageous postings calling a rape victim a whore, you know that it is probably a rapist who is talking. And he believes it. This is why he needs to be put in prison where he can’t hurt anyone else.